Socket fixture



V:July 10, 1934. H Q DODGE ET AL SOCKET FIXTURE Filed May 1o, 1933 2 sheets-shee. 1

264 am 2f @w1/vr n I Za //d/t/ a-v d y ze /f i July 1o, 1934. H@ c. DODGE ET AL 1,966,379

SOCKET FIXTURE Filed May 10,. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @eww Patented July 1o, 1934 PATENT OFFICE SOCKET FIXTURE Harry C. Dodge, Jacksonville, Fla., and George H.- Nobbs, Carlisle, Mass.; said Nobbs assignor to said Dodge Application May 1o, i933, serial No. 670,324

8Claims.

Our invention relates to electric distributing systems and more especially to wall socket fixtures for use within buildings and by means of which one or more branch circuits may be connected at will vith the main line conductors of an electric circul 'I'he object of our invention is to provide an.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a socket fixture of the class described embodied in a strip of .molding such as is used upon the walls of buildings and which, in its best form, will comprise a grooved moldedstrip constituting the main body portion of the device and which can be completely and permanently installed within a building by a carpenter without the assistance of an electrician, after which an electrician can quickly install within the groove thereof the electrical devices of the structure without the assistance of the carpenter.

Another object f our invention is toprovide a combined' molding strip and socket fixture whereof .the main body portion is made of wood and which will meet the requirements of insurance underwriters. l

To these ends we have provided a wall socket fixture comprising an elongate body member which is preferably a strip of wooden molding and which may be attached to, or form part of, the wall of a-room orthe like. This body member is formed with a longitudinal groove or recess upon its outer side or face to receive within it a pair of parallel metallic conductors or bus'bars which are xed in position upon the inner sideof a closure strip member of non-inflammable insulating material attached to the outer face of vthe strip of molding. 'The closure strip referred to is It is also a feature of our invention that when the body member is made of wood or other material which does not have requisite insulating properties or which is inflammable, then the groove formed in the outer face of said body member is lined with a sheet of non-indammable insulating material which abuts the closure strip .adjacent to the opposite sides of said groove so that the conductors or bus bars are completely inclosed within a housing of insulating material.

Other features and advantages of our invention are hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a molding strip constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1. l

Figure 3 shows the inner side of the closure plate or strip hereinafter described.

Figures 4 and 5 are details of after described.

Figure 6 i`sa. perspective view illustrating an alternative` construction.

Figure '7 is a verticalcross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the bus bars forming part of the structure illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2.

`Figures 11 and 12 are fragmentary sectional the cleat hereinviews Aillustrating two other embodiments of the invention. A

The embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, comprises a comparativelythin elongate molded strip of wood 10` which constitutes the body member of the structure. As shown this body member is intended to be permanently incorporated in the wall of a room as the baseboard or mop-.board thereof, and when so used its molded outer side or face is exposed.

When an unmolded strip of wood is passed through a molding machine to produce 'member 10 the machine shapes the outer face and top of the strip`and'forms the lower portion of said outer face with a longitudinal groove 11 having La relatively wide outer portion 12 Iand a relatively narrowv inner portion 13 which provides shoulders 14 within and at opposite sides of the groove against which areseated the opposite side marginal portions of a closure strip 15.

This closure strip or plate is made from a phe- `nolic'r condensation product, hard rubber, fibre board, or any other suitably rigid insulating material, and is preferably non-inflammable. At intervals throughout its length, and near its opposite sides, the closure strip 15 is provided with apertures 16. Figure 3, for the reception of screw 17, Figure 1, by which it is fastened in position within the groove 11 Aand against the shoulders 14. Strip 15 is as wide as the outer portion 12 of the groove and when in position its outer face is ush with the portions of the outer face of body member 10 at the opposite sides thereof.

At regularly spaced apart intervals throughout its length the strip 15 is made with pairs of apertures or slots 18 adapted to receive the prongs of a terminal plug 19 as shown in Figure 2. When the prongs of a terminal plug are pushed through slots 18 they are directed or guided by said slots into socket eyes 20, Figure 3, one of which is positioned opposite each slot 18.

The socket eyes 20 are formed at intervals throughout the lengths of two metal bus bars 2l forming part of an electric circuit and when a pair of prongs are forced into a pair of said eyes the latter frictionally engage the prongs to hold the same in place and the branch circuit 22 is connected with the' bus bars of the main circuit.

'Ihe socket eyes 20 of. each pair are disposed within parallel grooves or channels 23 formed in one side of a cleat 24 that is rigidly fastened to the closure strip 15 by a bolt 25, said bolt occupying a hole 26 formed through closure strip 15 and a hole 27 formed through `cleat 24.

At the bottom of each groove 23, Figs. 4 and 5, the cleat 24 is made with a hole or aperture 28 to receive the end portion of the prong that occupies the socket eye of said groove.

As show-n in Figures 1 and 2 the outer end of -each hole 27 is formed with a counterbore to receive the head of bolt 25 and if desired said head may be covered by a body of originally plastic filler material deposited within the counterbore.

Each cleat 24 is a molded block of non-inflammable material such as a phenolic condensation product, hard rubber, fibre or the like.

'Ihe nut 28 of each bolt 25 occupies a socket or groove 29 whose side walls engage oppositely disposed at sides of the nut to hold the latter against turning when the bolt is rotated in either direction.

It will be clear that the bus bars are xedly clamped against the inner face of the closure strip by the clips 24 and that the latter also serve to hold the bus bars relatively parallel and spaced apart.

Each bus bar 21 is made from a strip --of sheet metal bent longitudinally at its middle so that 4it is U-shapedin cross section and its two legs 30 and 31 are parallel.

The socket eyes 20 are formed by puncturing the intermediate portion or bend of the strip and spreading the legs, or side walls 30 and 3l apart slightly so that the distance between the inner faces thereof is not greater than the thickness of the terminal prong that is inserted within the socket eye, and preferably slightly less so as to provide a holding engagement between the socket eye and the prong and establish a good electrical connection.

As shown in Figures l and 2 the groove 11 is provided with a lining 32 of thin sheet insulating material which is preferably non-inflammable.

This lining may be made from a phenolic condensation product, fibre, or any other suitable material having the desired characteristics, and is preferably molded to t andconform to the shape of groove 11 Within which it is held by strip 15, the opposite sides of said lining strip abutting the inner face of closure strip 15 so that the bus bars are completely inclosed by a box-like housing of non-inflammable insulating material- In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, the closure strip 15a is formed upon its inner side with a longitudinal groove 33 that is disposed directly opposite `the groove 11 of the solid wooden molding strip body member 10 and which is of somewhat lless width than the groove 11 so that the opposite side edges of the lining strip 32-are in abutting engagement with the inner side of closure strip 15a adjacent to the groove 33 of the latter.

In this form of our invention each bus bar. 34 is made from a strip of spring sheet metal that is bent longitudinally near its middle so that it is U-shaped in cross-section and ccmprises a pair of parallel prong embracing legs 35 and 36. The leg 36 of each bus bar is made at its extremity 100 with a laterally bent foot or base 37 provided at intervals throughout its length with apertures 38, Figure 8, to receive screws 39, Figures 7 and 9, by means of which the bar is xed to the inner side of the closure plate within the groove 33 of 105 the latter.

'I'he other leg 35 of each bus bar 34 has its free marginal portion curved outwardly to co-operate with one of a pair of opposed shoulders 40 from which it is normally separated slightly.

The slots 18 of the closure strip 15a are disposed opposite, and parallel with, the bus bars 34 so that when the prongs of a terminal plug 19 are shoved through the same, each is forced into position between the legs of one of the bus bars. As 115 each prong is forced into position between the legs of its bus bar, the leg 35 is flexed or forced sidewise into engagement with its shoulder 40 with the result that the prong is securely held by the bus bar. 120

The embodiment of our invention illustrated in Fig. 11 comprises a cleat 24a whose transverse grooves 23a are occupied by bus-bars 21a each of which is made from a strip of spring sheet metal bent longitudinally near its middle so as 125 to provide a bus-bar that is U-shaped in crosssection butwith one leg thereof longer than the other.

The longer leg of each bus-bar is made with an outwardly extending marginal flange 2lb which 13g is closely confined between the cleat 24a and the face plate 15. Y

The side wall of each groove 23a that is adjacent to the shorter leg of the bus-bar is made with a lug 21o by which the longer leg of the 135 bus-bar is held against its side wall of the groove. Each of these two lugs 21c is offset with respect to the slot 18 leading to its groove so as not to interfere with the entrance of the terminal plug.

When the prongs of a terminal plug are pushed 140 into slots 18 each prong forces it way into position between the two legs of one of the bus-bars by which it is gripped and held against accidental displacement.

Each bus-bar is formed with a hole 21d oppo- 145 site its slot 18 to receive the end portion of the prong that is engaged therewith.

In the form of our invention illustrated in Fig.

12 each bus-bar 21e is a strip of spring sheet metal bent longitudinally intermediate its oppo- 150 site sides so that it is of obtuse angle-iron shape in cross-section thus providing a resilient obliquely disposed prong-gripping jaw at one side of the bend and a marginal outstanding' flange 2lb at the opposite side thereof that is held in position between the cleat 24h and the closure strip 15 by a lug 21e formed upon the cleat at one side of each groove thereof.

What we claim is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, amolding unit for application to the wall of a/roa-m, said unit comprising an elongate strip of molding formed upon its outer side with a longitudinal groove; a longitudinally disposed elongate strip of thin sheet insulating material fitted to and lining said groove from side to side thereof; a longitudinally disposed elongate closure strip of insulating material for said groove against the inner side of which the opposite sides of said lining strip abut, said closure strip being formed at intervals throughout its length with pairs of holes adapted to receive the prongs of a terminal plug; means fastening the opposite side marginal portions of said closure strip in position upon the outer side of said strip of molding; a pair of longitudinally disposed elongate metal bus bars within said groove each of which is constructed to hold one of said prongs when the latter are inserted in one of said pairs of holes, and means fastening said bus bars to the inner side o-f said closure strip adjacent to said holes and in parallel spaced apart relationship.

2. As a new article of manufacture, amolding unit for application to the wall of a room, said unit comprising a. solid elongate strip of Wood molding formed upon its outer side with a longitudinal groove; a longitudinally disposed elongate strip of thin sheet insulating material fitted to and lining said groove from side to side thereof; a longitudinally disposed elongate closure strip of insulating material for said groove against the inner side of which the opposite sides of said lining strip abut, said closure strip being formed at intervals throughout its length with pairs of holes adapted to receive the prongs of a terminal plug; means fastening the opposite side marginal portions of said closure strip in position upon 'the outer side of said strip of wood molding; a pair of longitudinally disposed elongate metal bus bars Within said groove each of which is constructed to hold one of said prongs 1 when the latter are inserted in' one of said pairs terial fitted 4to and lining said groove from side to side thereof; a relatively narrow longitudinally disposed elongate closure strip of insulating material for said groove against the inner side of which the opposite sides of said lining strip abut, said closure strip being formed at intervals throughout its length with pairs of holes adapted to receive the prongs of a terminal plug; means fastening the opposite side marginal portions of said closure strip in position upon the outer side of said strip of wood molding; alpair of longitudinally disposed elongate metal bus bars within said groove each of which is constructed to yieldingly grip and frictionally hold one of said prongs when the latter are inserted in one of said pairs of holes, and means fastening said bus bars to the inner side of said closure strip adjacent to said holes and in parallel spaced apart relationship. l

4. As a new article of manufacture, a molding unit constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein said last-mentioned means consists of a plurality of cleats distributed at intervals throughout the length of said closure strip each consisting of a rigid body of insulating material formed with transverse grooves that are occupied by said bus bars, and means fastening said cleats to the inner side of said closure strip.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a molding unit constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein said last-mentioned meansconsists of a plurality of cleats distributed at intervals throughout the length of said closure strip, each consisting of a rigid body of insulating material formed with transverse grooves that are occupied by said bus bars and each secured in position against the inner side of said closure strip by a single fastening device.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a molding unit constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein each bus bar is made from sheet metal and is of U-shaped form in cross-section and wherein each of said bus bars has its intermediate portion formed with a puncture disposed opposite one of the holes of said closure strip and adapted to receive the end portion of one of said prongs.

'7. As a new article of manufacture, a molding unit constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein said lining is made from non-infiammable insulating material and wherein said closure strip is also made from non-inilarrnnable insulating material.

8. A-s a new article of manufacture, a molding unit constructed in accordance -with claim 3 wherein said closure strip is fastened to said strip of wood molding by means of screws occupying apertures formed through the opposite side marginal portions of said strip.

HARRY C. DODGE.

GEORGE H. NOBBS. 

